Stylus pointing devices are used to convey position information to a host electronic device. However, unlike a computer mouse that conveys relative motion, a stylus is designed to convey the absolute position of the stylus pen on a surface such as a tablet or screen. The position may be determined by a variety of methods, including detecting the interaction of the stylus with the electrical properties of the tablet (electromagnetic induction, electrical resistance, electrical capacitance), the optical properties of the tablet, or by ultrasonic location.
An active stylus has an ability to communicate with the host electronic device over a wired link or over a wireless communication link, such as a Radio-Frequency (RF) or Infrared (IR) link.
A stylus may be used in conjunction with a graphical user interface to enable user input to the host electronic device.
A common use of a stylus is to provide user input to a computer drawing or handwriting application. In this application the stylus is used both to draw lines and to interact with a user interface. For example, selection of the properties of the line is achieved by using a stylus to interact with a graphical user interface. Properties of a line to be drawn, such as the color or thickness of the line, may be selected by touching (‘clicking’) the stylus to a particular region of the screen or tablet. Alternatively, the color or thickness of a line may be selected by using the stylus to move a screen cursor to a particular region of the screen. A similar approach is used to select other properties of the line to be drawn.
It would be useful to provide a faster and more intuitive method for selecting drawing tools, line properties, or other parameters.